Dairy and livestock farming systems require constant improvements to boost productivity, and we understand the best ideas come from our customers - those who work the land every day. Demand for top equipment to handle balage faster and more economically has never been more critical when pitched against soaring prices and challenging weather patterns.

Taking an in-depth assessment of what works and what doesn’t from our farmers and contractors, we introduced a suite of bale handling implements under our own FarmMax brand, all finely tuned to suit NZ farmer needs.

Originally developed in-house to fulfil customer demand for hay and silage grabs, we scoured the market to find the right equipment for New Zealand’s harsh conditions, including turning to Europe for new and emerging trends. The answer arrived in 2020 from an innovative tractor loader specialist in Poland, and now our suite of products is rapidly growing in popularity.

Earlier in 2023, Mike Wearmouth revisited the factory in Poland and was impressed with the level of factory automation and new ideas being explored by the team. 

Confident to have secured the best European quality and strength, tailored to suit farms Down Under, we feature the FarmMax bale handling equipment in more detail:

FARMMAX COMBI CUTTER

A highly versatile piece of kit, the FarmMax Combi Cutter boasts three implements in one to muscle up efficiency on farm, including a grab bucket, shear grabs and bale slice/un-wrapper. 

In developing the Combi Cutter, farmers wanted it simple to remove the bucket section and reattach it again (the implement locks in place when reattached). Heavy-duty hydraulic rams on the side enable it to chew a silage stack easily, leaving a clean face, and the hydraulically operated clamp conveniently holds the plastic bale film. 

FarmShop customer Matt Taylor has a 300-unit dairy Dairy farm near Dargaville, Northland, where he’s feeding out maize silage, grass silage and palm kernel. Matt speaks highly of his FarmMax Combi Cutter for its versatility and timesaving of swapping out implements automatically rather than getting out of the tractor cab each time. Purchased in April 2021 it remains a star-performer.

The structure is made from powder-coated high-strength steel, making it robust and durable. Heavy-duty hydraulic cylinders allow superior performance and longevity. The drop-forged replaceable prongs are high-strength tools uniquely designed for the implement.

The thick-gauge crossbeam that holds the prong sockets braces the implement frame exceptionally well, which prevents distortion at high loads. The service width is 1600mm.

FARMMAX SMARTGRABS

For bale grabs, the FarmMax SmartGrabs offer superior quality and strength. There are cheaper alternatives on the market, but they will never last the distance of these European-made implements. At FarmShop, we have kept the pricing compelling because of our direct supply model, ‘factory to farm’ to help farmers save. In light of increasing costs on farm, we have also gone a step further by offering a 15% discount off FarmMax SmartGrabs for Spring 2023, or while stock lasts.

Euro hitch as a standard, the FarmMax SmartGrabs can open to 1.7m and easily manage medium to small square bales and large rounds, making them a great option to move thousands of bales a year. The bale arms can be opened and closed with variable speed to ensure the grab clears a stack without damaging adjacent bales. 

FARMMAX PALLET FORK

Concluding our suite of intelligent bale handling products for improving the productivity of daily farm work is the FarmMax Silage / Pallet Fork—the perfect complement to front loaders and designed for fast and easy handling of loads onto pallets. An adjustable pallet fork with a Euro hitch makes it simple to attach, and a 1600kg load rating makes it heavy-duty. Conveniently, there is an option for farmers to add tines to make them suitable for silage bales. With the forks being adjustable, it’s a clever implement for multiple uses on farm: handling silage, lifting a one-tonne pallet of wire, and more.

Again, a Spring 2023 special will have farmers secure a FarmMax Pallet Fork for just $1,750 ex GST (normally $2,500 ex GST).